Challenges of the Post-World Challenges of the Post-World War I EraWar I Era

1914-Present Lesson 41914-Present Lesson 4

Main Ideas:Main Ideas:• With its focus on national interests rather With its focus on national interests rather

than global peace, the Versailles Treaty than global peace, the Versailles Treaty laid the foundation for another world laid the foundation for another world warwar

• In the decade following the war, the In the decade following the war, the Western world faced economic Western world faced economic volatility, colonial resistance, cultural volatility, colonial resistance, cultural disillusionment, and fears of disillusionment, and fears of communismcommunism

Wilson & the Paris Peace Wilson & the Paris Peace ConferenceConference

• Late entry of US into Late entry of US into the warthe war

• The The 14 Points14 Points

– break up old empiresbreak up old empires

– self-determination of self-determination of statesstates

– The League of The League of NationsNations

Fundamentals of the Versailles Fundamentals of the Versailles TreatyTreaty

• Old empires dissolved, Old empires dissolved, new “nation-states”new “nation-states”

• FRA occupies:FRA occupies:– GER RhinelandGER Rhineland– Saar R. ValleySaar R. Valley

• ⅔ ⅔ of GER coal & ironof GER coal & iron

• GER gains from GER gains from Brest-Litovsk Brest-Litovsk dissolveddissolved

• GER reparationsGER reparations– $23 billion over 52 $23 billion over 52

yrs.yrs.• Art. 231—War Guilt Art. 231—War Guilt

ClauseClause

Reasons for “A Peace Built on Quicksand”Reasons for “A Peace Built on Quicksand”

• USA Rejects the USA Rejects the LeagueLeague– Fear of Fear of

“entanglements”“entanglements”– League has “no League has “no

teeth”teeth”

• Italy & JapanItaly & Japan– Key in victory, Key in victory,

but ignored in but ignored in TreatyTreaty

Reasons for “A Peace Built on Reasons for “A Peace Built on Quicksand”Quicksand”

• Humiliation of Humiliation of GermanyGermany– Territorial lossTerritorial loss– Impact of Impact of

reparationsreparations– Read between Read between

the lines: Art. the lines: Art. 231231

– The German The German PerspectivePerspective

The Aftermath: Europe & the USAThe Aftermath: Europe & the USA

• Influenza Pandemic, Influenza Pandemic, 1919-201919-20– 20 million deaths20 million deaths

• Economic downs & Economic downs & upsups– production declines & production declines &

employment issuesemployment issues

– mass culturemass culture• Radio, Movies, SportsRadio, Movies, Sports

• ““The Red Scare”The Red Scare”

The Aftermath: Europe & the USAThe Aftermath: Europe & the USA• GermanyGermany

– Reparations & Reparations & HyperinflationHyperinflation

– The Weimar The Weimar RepublicRepublic• reconciliationreconciliation• limitationslimitations

– Political Political ExtremesExtremes• CommunismCommunism• Fascism Fascism

(Nazis)(Nazis)

The Aftermath: Europe & the USAThe Aftermath: Europe & the USA

• Intellectual MovementsIntellectual Movements– ExistentialismExistentialism

• Meaning through individual choice (Nietzsche, Freud) Meaning through individual choice (Nietzsche, Freud)

• ““The Lost Generation”The Lost Generation”– Joyce, Kafka, Camus, RemarqueJoyce, Kafka, Camus, Remarque

– Hemingway, FitzgeraldHemingway, Fitzgerald

– SurrealismSurrealism• “ “dreamscapes”, images disjointed & chaotic (view of post-war dreamscapes”, images disjointed & chaotic (view of post-war

world); trying to mesh conscious & unconsciousworld); trying to mesh conscious & unconscious

– CubismCubism• attempt to view subject in all possible times & spaces—all on one flat attempt to view subject in all possible times & spaces—all on one flat

surface; influenced by photography & Einstein’s relativity theory surface; influenced by photography & Einstein’s relativity theory

– DadaDada• “ “art of nonsense”—no meaning or direction, art has no answersart of nonsense”—no meaning or direction, art has no answers

SurrealismSurrealism

Salvador Dali – Salvador Dali – The Persistence of MemoryThe Persistence of Memory

SurrealismSurrealism

JoJoán Miróán Miró – – Harlequin’s CarnivalHarlequin’s Carnival

Marcel Duchamp Marcel Duchamp – – Nude Nude

Descending a Descending a StaircaseStaircase

CubismCubism

Pablo Picasso – Pablo Picasso – Tres MusicionesTres Musiciones

CubismCubism

DadaDada

Jean Arp – Jean Arp – Collage Arranged Collage Arranged According to the According to the Laws of ChanceLaws of Chance

DadaDada

Marcel Duchamp – Marcel Duchamp – FountainFountain